Parsha
Ki Tavo – When you come
D’varim
(Deuter.) 26:1 – 29:8, YeshaYahu (Isa.) 60:1-22,
Luke
21:1-4, Rom.11:1-15
In this “Parsha”, Moshe admonish the children of
Israel
Once again,
the Torah as different levels and we should strive to scrutinize the different
levels if we want to see the deep meaning, called “sod” in Hebrew, the mystery
of the Torah.
Deu 26:1 “And it shall be, when you come
into the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you as
an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it,
We shall remember that this land has been taken away from
other nations who were living there. This nation where idolaters and lived an
immoral life. The Hebrew words for “come” and “posses” are respectively the
word “bo” and “yarash” which imply to take by force and to occupy.
Deu 9:5 “It is not because of your
righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess
their land, but because of the wrong of
these nations that יהוה your
Elohim drives them out from before you, in order to establish the word which יהוה swore to your fathers, to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq,
and to Yaʽaqoḇ.
We see that it is יהוה Elohim who is giving the land to the Children of
Israel. Today Palestinians and others people claim this land to be theirs and
there is a lot of resistance in Israel
In the “sod” we can see that the land is also a picture
of the “kingdom
of Elohim
We too must strive to take the kingdom by force. On one
side we do enter the Kingdom of heaven through the blood of Messiah, on the
other side we will have to fight against the spiritual forces of darkness in
order to withstand them and overcome. All this nations in the promise land
represent spiritual entities which must be destroyed.
I have insert a text from somebody (unfortunately I lost
his name), who give spiritual explanation concerning the nations which Elohim
asked the children of Israel
Deu
26:2 that you shall take some
of the first of all the fruits of the soil which you bring from your land that יהוה your Elohim is giving you, and shall put it in a
basket and go to the place where יהוה your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell there.
Deu
26:3 “And you shall come to
the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I shall declare today to יהוה your Elohim that I have come to the land which יהוה swore to our fathers to give us.’
Deu
26:4 “And the priest shall
take the basket from your hand and place it before the altar of יהוה your Elohim.
Deu
26:2-4 The principle
is simple. The peshat reading gives
us the literal meaning what our forefathers were doing. Remember the first
fruit is Qadosh to Elohim. The rule was established by the levitical order.
We have seen in Vayyiqra chapter 19 what has been
commanded to the children of Israel
Lev 19:23 ‘And when you come into the land,
and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall reckon their fruit
as uncircumcised. For three years it is
as uncircumcised to you, it is not eaten.
Lev 19:24 ‘And in the fourth year all its fruit is set-apart – praises to יהוה.
Lev
19:25 ‘And in the fifth year
you eat its fruit, so that it increases its yield to you. I am יהוה your Elohim.
In the fourth year are the first fruits to be brought to יהוה. The Jew historian Josephus gives following
explanation in the fourth book “Antiquities of the Jews” chapter 8:19
19. He that plants a piece of land, the trees of which produce fruits
before the fourth year, is not to bring thence any first-fruits to God, nor is
he to make use of that fruit himself, for it is not produced in its proper
season; for when nature has a force put upon her at an unseasonable time, the
fruit is not proper for God, nor for the master's use; but let the owner gather
all that is grown on the fourth car, for then it is in its proper season. And
let him that has gathered it carry it to the holy city, and spend that, together with the tithe of his other fruits,
in feasting with his friends, with the orphans, and the widows. But on the
fifth year the fruit is his, and he may use it as he pleases.
It seems difficult to see the spiritual aspect behind
this rule! However we know that the number trees pictures righteous people. Yehoshua
uses this euphemism to explain how we should live:
Mat 7:16 “By their fruits you shall know
them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
Mat 12:33 “Either makes the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree
rotten and its fruit rotten, for a tree
is known by its fruit.
Rom 11:16 Now if the first-fruit is
set-apart, the lump is also. And
if the root is set-apart, so are the branches.
Remember
in B’reshit, Elohim created the trees bearing seed after their kind:
Gen 1:11 And Elohim said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the plant that
yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose
seed is in itself, on the earth.” And it came to be so.
The
earth is commanded to bear fruit according to their kind.
Until this very day, farmers in different countries (I
know in particular from France
Now, think about this: Three years equal three thousand
years. Yehoshua came in the fourth years to restore Israel
1Co 15:20 But now is the Messiah risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Joh 20:16 יהושע
said to her, “Miryam!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which means
Teacher).
Joh
20:17 יהושע
said to her, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father.
Jas 1:18 Having purposed it, He brought us forth by the Word of truth, for us to be a kind of
first-fruits of His creatures.
Yehoshua went to the father to present himself as the “first fruit” and if this first fruit is accepted, all who will
come after him will also be accepted.
We have seen that the “place
where יהוה
your Elohim chooses to
make His name dwell there” is not known before the children of Israel
The prophet Nathan spoke to King David:
2Sa 7:10 “And I shall appoint a place for my people Yisra’ĕl, and shall plant
them, and they shall dwell in a place of their own and no longer be afraid,
neither shall the children of wickedness oppress them again, as at the first,
2Sa 7:11 even from the day I appointed rulers over my people Yisra’ĕl, and have
caused you to rest from all your enemies. And יהוה has declared to you that He would make you a house.
2Sa 7:12 “When your days are filled and you rest with your fathers, I shall
raise up your seed after you, who comes from your inward parts, and shall
establish his reign.
2Sa 7:13 “He does build a house for My Name,
and I shall establish the throne of his reign forever.
In 2nd King we see the fulfilment under
King Sh’lomo:
2Ki 21:4 and he built altars in the House of
יהוה,
of which יהוה had
said, “In Yerushalayim I put My Name.”
Yerushalayim has also a spiritual meaning:
Strong’s # H3389 ירוּשׁלים ירוּשׁלם
yerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim
yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im, yer-oo-shaw-lah'-yim
A dual (in
allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former
reading, seems to be that of H3390));
probably from (the passive participle of) H3384
and H7999; founded peaceful;
Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine :
- Jerusalem
H3384 ירא ירהyârâh yârâ' yaw-raw', yaw-raw'
A primitive
root; properly to flow as water
(that is, to rain); transitively to lay or throw
(especially an arrow, that is, to shoot); figuratively to point out (as if by aiming the
finger), to teach: - (+) archer,
cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach (-er, -ing), through.
H7999 שׁלם shâlam
shaw-lam'
A primitive
root; to be safe (in
mind, body or estate); figuratively to be (causatively make) completed;
by implication to be friendly; by extension to reciprocate
(in various applications): - make amends,
(make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make)
(to) (be at) peace (-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper (-ous),
recompense, render, requite, make
restitution, restore, reward, X surely.
The spiritual
meaning of the name Yerushalayim: “in
this place I (Elohim) will make restitution”. Yerushalayim was chosen in
the day Elohim commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah
Moriah,
Strong’s # H4179 מוריּה môrı̂yâh
mo-ree-yaw',
From H7200 and H3050;
seen of Yah; Morijah,
a hill in Palestine
To bring the
first fruits of the soils, verse 2, We have seen what is to be done when they
enter the promise land.
We also one day
will enter the promise land physically. We have already entered it spiritually.
Are you bringing our first fruits to Elohim, or do we bring fruits when it fits
us? Our first fruits are fruits of righteousness
Php 1:11 being filled with the fruit of righteousness,1
through יהושע Messiah, to the glory and
praise of Elohim. Footnote: 1Mt. 3:8-10,
Rom. 6:22, Rom. 14:17, 2 Cor. 9:10, Eph. 5:9, Gal. 5:22, Col. 1:10, Heb. 12:11,
Jam.
Rom 6:22 But now, having been set free from sin, and having become servants of
Elohim, you have your fruit
resulting in set-apartness, and the end, everlasting life.
Mat 3:9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We
have Aḇraham as father.’1 for I say to you that Elohim is
able to raise up children to Aḇraham from these stones. Footnote: 1John 8:33-34, Rom.
Mat 3:10 “And the axe is already laid to the root of the trees. Every tree,
then, which does not bear good fruit
is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Yehoshua says in the
book of Yochanan that the branches
which do not bear fruit, will be thrown into the fire. We should always be
aware that our fruits come from the Torah which as a “tree of life” is
representing Yehoshua and the life he dedicated to Elohim.
Deu
26:5 “And you shall answer and
say before יהוה your Elohim, ‘My father was a perishing Aramean*, and he went down
to Mitsrayim and sojourned there with few men. And there he became a nation,
great, mighty, and numerous.
Deu
26:6 ‘But the Mitsrites did
evil to us, and afflicted us, and imposed hard labour on us.
Deu
26:7 ‘Then we cried out to יהוה
Elohim of our fathers, and
יהוה heard
our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression.
Deu
26:8 ‘and יהוה
brought us out of
Mitsrayim with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, with great fear and
with signs and wonders.
Deu
26:9 ‘And He brought us to
this place and has given us this land, “a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Verses 26:5-9. Commentary from Keil and Delitzsch:
אָבִי אִבֵד אֲרַמִּי,
“a lost (perishing) Aramaean was my father” (not the Aramaean, Laban, wanted to destroy my father, Jacob, as the Chald.,
Arab., Luther, and others render it). אִבֵד
signifies not only going astray, wandering, but perishing, in danger of
perishing, as in Job_29:13; Pro_31:6, etc. Jacob is referred to, for it was he who went down to Egypt Israel Aram Egypt Egypt Egypt
*Others translation give Syrian instead of Aramean.
Deu 26:10 ‘and now, see, I have brought the first-fruits of the land which You, O יהוה,
have given me.’ Then you shall place it before יהוה
your Elohim, and bow down
before יהוה your
Elohim,
Deu
26:11 and shall rejoice in all
the good which יהוה your
Elohim has given to you and your house, you and the Lĕwite and the stranger who
is among you.
Elohim is not looking to himself when asking for
sacrifices. He always looks for the well being of His children. We always see
how Elohim interact between heaven and earth to meet the needs of his people.
The Torah is there to bring blessing.
Deu
26:12 “When you have completed
tithing all the tithe of your increase in the third year, which is the year of
tithing, and have given it to the Lĕwite, to the stranger, to the fatherless,
and to the widow, and they have eaten within your gates and have been satisfied,
The tithe of the third year is the tithe for the poor and
the stranger and the widow as we have seen already
Deu 14:28 “At the end of every third year you
bring out all the tithe of your increase of that year and store it up within your gates.
Deu 14:29 “And the Lĕwite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you,
and the sojourner and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates,
shall come and eat and be satisfied, so that יהוה your Elohim does bless you in all the work of your
hand which you do.
Keil and delitzsch give us more inside:
Every
third year, on the other hand, they were to separate the whole of the tithe
from the year's produce (“bring forth,” sc., from the granary), and leaven it
in their gates (i.e., their towns), and feed the Levites, the strangers, and
the widows and orphans with it. They
were not to take it to the sanctuary, therefore; but according to Deu_26:12., after bringing it out, were to make
confession to YHWH of what they had done, and pray for His blessing. “At the
end of three years:” i.e., when the third year, namely the civil year,
which closed with the harvest (see at Exo_23:16),
had come to an end. This regulation as to the time was founded upon the
observance of the sabbatical year, as we may see from Deu_15:1, where the seventh year is no other
than the sabbatical year. Twice,
therefore, within the period of a sabbatical year, namely in the third and
sixth years, the tithe set apart for a sacrificial meal was not to be eaten at the sanctuary, but
to be used in the different towns of the land in providing festal meals for
those who had no possessions, viz., the Levites, strangers, widows, and
orphans. Consequently this tithe cannot properly be called the “third
tithe,” as it is by many of the Rabbies, but rather the “poor tithe,” as it was
simply in the way of applying it that it differed from the “second” (see Hottinger,
de decimies, exerc. viii. pp. 182ff., and my Archäol. i. p. 339). As
an encouragement to carry out these instructions, Moses closes in Deu_14:29 with an allusion to the divine
blessing which would follow their observance.
Deu 14:29 and the Levite, (because he hath no part nor
inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow,
which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that
YHWH thy Elohim may bless thee in all the work of thine hands which thou doest.
We remember that the Levites were numerous among the
children of Israel
Num 3:39 all that were numbered of the Levites, which
Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of YHWH, throughout their families,
all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
When reading
the number of the Levites we can easily imagine why יהוה was concerned with their
welfare, they were dispersed in the different towns from “Eretz Israel ”
were the children of Israel
In the Jubilee year there was no
tithe, as the land enjoyed its sabbath. Tobit (Tob_1:7-8)
says he gave a third tithe to the poor; Josephus (Ant.
4:8, 8, section 22) also mentions a third tithe; so Jerome too on Ezekiel 45
(Fausset).
Tob 1:7 The first tenth
part of all increase I gave to the sons of Aaron, who ministered at Jerusalem : another tenth part I sold away, and went, and
spent it every year at Jerusalem
Tob 1:8 and the third I gave
unto them to whom it was meet, as Debora my father's mother had commanded
me, because I was left an orphan by my
father.
Deu 26:13 then you shall say before יהוה your
Elohim, ‘I have put away the set-apart portion
from my house, and also have given it to
the Lĕwite, and to the stranger,
and to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Your
command which You have commanded me. I have not transgressed Your commands, nor
have I forgotten.
Deu
26:14 ‘I have not eaten any of
it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for any unclean use, nor
given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of יהוה my
Elohim, I have done according to all that You have commanded me.
Deu
26:15 ‘Look from Your set-apart
dwelling place, from the heavens, and bless Your people Yisra’ĕl and the land
which You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, “a land flowing with milk
and honey.” ’
Is it not what Ya’acov
wrote?
Jas 1:22 but
be ye doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Deu
26:16 “Today יהוה your
Elohim is commanding you to do these laws and right-rulings. And you shall
guard and do them with all your heart and with all your being.
Deu
26:17 “You have today caused יהוה to
proclaim to be your Elohim, and to walk in His ways and guard His laws, and His
commands, and His right-rulings, and to obey His voice.
Deu
26:18 “and יהוה has
caused you to proclaim today to be His people, a treasured possession, as He
has spoken to you, and to guard all His
commands,
Joh 14:15 “If you
love Me, you shall guard My commands.1
Footnote: 1See Ex. 20:6, vv. 21&23, 1
John 5:2-3, 2 John v. 6.
Deu
26:19 so as to set you high
above all nations which He has made, for a praise, and for a name, and for
esteem, and for you to be a set-apart people to יהוה your
Elohim, as He has spoken.”
Chapter 27
Deu 27:1 and Mosheh, with the elders of
Yisra’ĕl, commanded the people, saying, “Guard all the commands which I am
commanding you today.
Deu 27:2 “And it shall be, on the day when you pass over the Yardĕn to the land
which יהוה
your Elohim is giving you, that you shall set up
for yourselves large stones, and plaster them with plaster,
The
stones were not to be engraved but covered with lime.
From
Keil and Dlitzsch we learn,
Deu_27:2 and Deu_27:3 contain the
general instructions; Deu_27:4-8, more
minute details. In the appointment of the time, “on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan into the land,” etc.,
the word “day” must not be
pressed, but is to be understood in a broader sense, as signifying the time
when Israel should have entered the land and taken possession of it. The stones
to be set up were to be covered with lime, or gypsum (whether it signifies lime or gypsum cannot be
determined), and all the words of the law were to be written upon them. The
writing, therefore, was not to be cut into the stones and then covered with
lime (as J. D. Mich., Ros.),
but to be inscribed upon the plaistered stones, as was the custom in Egypt,
where the walls of buildings, and even monumental stones, which they were about
to paint with figures and hieroglyphics, were first of all covered with a
coating of lime or gypsum, and then the figures painted upon this (see the
testimonies of Minutoli, Heeren,
Prokesch in Hengstenberg's Dissertations,
i. 433, and Egypt and the Books of
Moses, p. 90). The object of this writing was not to hand down the law
in this manner to posterity without alteration, but, as has already been
stated, simply to set forth a public acknowledgement of the law on the part of
the people, first of all for the sake of the generation which took possession
of the land, and for posterity, only so far as this act was recorded in the
book of Joshua and thus transmitted to future generations.
Deu
27:3 and write on them all the
Words of this Torah, when you have passed over, so that you go into the land
which יהוה
your Elohim is giving you, ‘a land flowing with
milk and honey,’ as יהוה Elohim of your
fathers has spoken to you.
Lawrence Nathan from Hoshana
Rabbah gives an approach concerning the stones on Mount Ebal
Torah-law and then coat them with lime
plaster. There they were told to build an altar where burnt and peace offerings
were to be made. Why was Torah written on stones on Mount Ebal Mount Gerizim
Could lime plaster represent robes of righteousness? Who is clothed in robes of
righteousness once sins have been atoned for? Who was wounded for our
transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, had laid on him the iniquities
of us all and was made an offering for sin (Isa. 53:5,6,10)? Who was the Living
Torah, the Word of Elohim made flesh (John 1:1ff)? Who redeemed us from the
curse of the law (Gal. 3:13), which came upon us as a result of our sinning
(sin is the violation of YHVH’s law [1 John 3:4]), bring a death penalty upon
us (the wages of sin is death [Rom. 6:23])? Now does this make sense why the
Torah and the altar were placed on Mount
Ebal
Deu
27:4 “And it shall be, when
you have passed over the Yardĕn, that on Mount Ěyḇal you set up these stones,
which I command you today, and you shall plaster them with plaster,
Josephus writes the book 4, chapter 8:44,
44. This was the form of political government which was left us by
Moses. Moreover, he had already delivered laws in writing (33) in the fortieth year [after they came out of
Egypt
Jamieson,
Fausset and Brown confirm the explanation of Josephus the Jew historian:
“thou shalt write upon them all the
words of this law — It might be, as some think, the
Decalogue; but a greater probability is that it was “the blessings and curses,”
which comprised in fact an epitome of the law (Jos_8:34).
Jos 8:32 and there, in the presence of the children of Yisra’ĕl, he wrote on the stones a copy of the Torah
of Mosheh, which he had written.
Jos 8:33 and all Yisra’ĕl – the sojourner as well as the native – with their
elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the
priests, the Lĕwites, who bore the ark of the covenant of יהוה.
Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount
Ěyḇal, as Mosheh the servant of יהוה had commanded
before, that they should bless the people of Yisra’ĕl.
Jos
8:34 and afterward he read all
the words of the Torah, the blessings
and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Torah.”
Quote end.
Blessing and curses are built on the principle of
creation that Elohim established on the first day:
Gen 1:4 And Elohim saw the light, that it was good, and Elohim separated the
light from the darkness.
Light and darkness are euphemism for good and evil
in Hebrew “yetzer Tov” (good
inclination) and “yetzer HaRa” (bad
inclination) everything is built on this principle, hot and cold, rich and
poor, life and death, righteous and wicked…..
Josephus mentions, “of Gerizzim, situate on the right hand, and Ebal, on the left”
If you remember the Tree
of life we find “chesed”, mercy
or grace on the right side of the tree the place of Abraham, and “gewurah”, strength or judgment on the
left side of the tree the place of Isaac and HaSatan (the adversary). The right
side is also the place where our master Yehoshua
stand “at the right hand of the father” (Acts
7:55)
Deu
27:5 and build an altar to יהוה your
Elohim there, an altar of stones – do
not use an iron tool on them.
Verses 4-8 Keil
and Delitzsch go forth in their study giving us more information,
In the further expansion of this
command, Moses first of all fixes the
place where the stones were to be set up, namely, upon Mount Ebal (see at Deu_11:29), - not upon Gerizim, according to the reading of the Samaritan
Pentateuch; for since the discussion of the question by Verschuir (dissertt.
phil. exeg. diss. 3) and Gesenius
(de Pent. Samar .
p. 61), it may be regarded as an established fact, that this reading is
an arbitrary alteration. The following clause, “thou shalt plaister,” etc., is a repetition in the earliest form
of historical writing among the Hebrews. To this there are appended in Deu_27:5-7 the new and further instructions,
that an altar was to be built upon Ebal, and burnt-offerings and
slain-offerings to be sacrificed upon it. The notion that this altar was to be
built of the stones with the law written upon them, or even with a portion of
them, needs no refutation, as it has not the slightest support in the words of
the text. For according to these the altar was to be built of unhewn stones
(therefore not of the stones covered with cement), in obedience to the law in Exo_20:22 (see the exposition of this passage,
where the reason for this is discussed). The spot selected for the setting up
of the stones with the law written upon it, as well as for the altar and the
offering of sacrifice, was Ebal, the
mountain upon which the curses were to be proclaimed; not Gerizim, which
was appointed for the publication of the blessings, for the very same reason
for which only the curses to be proclaimed are given in Deu_27:14. and not the blessings, - not, as Schultz supposes, because the law in
connection with the curse speaks more forcibly to sinful man than in connection
with the blessing, or because the curse, which manifests itself on every hand
in human life, sounds more credible than the promise; but, as the Berleburger Bible expresses it, “to
show how the law and economy of the Old Testament would denounce the curse
which rests upon the whole human race because of sin, to awaken a desire for
the Messiah, who was to take away the curse and bring the true blessing
instead.” For however remote the allusion to the Messiah may be here, the truth
is unquestionably pointed out in these instructions, that the law primarily and chiefly brings a curse upon man because of the sinfulness of his nature,
as Moses himself announces to the people in Deu_31:16-17.
And for this very reason the book of the law was to be laid by the side of the
ark of the covenant as a “testimony against Israel Israel Israel
I don’t agree here with Keil and Delitzsch concerning the law bringing curse because of the sinful nature of man which is
the Roman Catholic doctrine, because those who are in Messiah today have put
the garment of Righteousness and so overcome sin which is the transgression of
the Torah. If we had a sinful nature, we would have to wait the resurrection to
receive the sinless nature. Sin is overcome through Messiah.
D’varim 31:16 tell us that it is the people who will go
after other mighty ones:
Deu 31:16 and יהוה
said to Mosheh, “See, you are about to sleep with
your fathers. And this people shall rise and whore after the mighty ones of the
strangers of the land into the midst of which they shall enter, and forsake Me
and break My covenant which I have made with them.
They will follow people who are already wicked by choice. How it is today? What
do people do today? Do they follow the world system or Messiah and the Torah?
What is the choice of all this religions? Is it not after its own choice?
To break the covenant and thus the commands was to bring
the curse, not the sinful nature.
My
opinion:
We
read in D’varim (Deut.) 27:2-4:”......
that thou shall set thee up great stones and plaster them with plaster:
Deu 27:3 and
thou shalt write upon them all the
words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in
unto the land which YHWH thy Elohim giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk
and honey; as YHWH Elohim of thy fathers hath promised thee.
Deu 27:4 Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over
Jordan, that ye shall set up these
stones, which I command you this day, in
mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister
them with plaister.
When
reading we should keep in mind that the Mount Ebal is on the left side thus representing the left side of the
tree of life the side of “gewurah” the
place of judgement. Judgement is directly connected with curse.
Contrary
to what Christianity believe the Torah is not a curse but disobedience to the Torah bring curse upon people. Now remember
that the Ten Commands on Mont Sinai were to be written on the tablets made of
stone representing the “stony heart” of
the Children of Israel (Yechezkel 36:26). Here on Mount Ebal
The first
Ten Commands written in the tablets were engraved
in the tablets made out of stone for the stony heart. Here we have stones
with plaster bearing the Ten Commands on the Left side the side where the
curses will be proclaimed.
When Yehoshua came, he came to remove not the
Torah and the Ten Commands, but the curse depending on disobedience to the Torah due to the letter and not faith:
Gal 3:13 Messiah
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one
that hangs on a tree:
How came
the curse?
Deu 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not
all the words of this law to do them. And all the people
shall say, so be it.
Messiah has
removed the “plaster” from the stone
which remain as a memorial of the curse because of disobedience and have lost
their power or effect on those who follow Messiah.
These two
mountains still exist in Israel
with other names, mount Gerizim
(now Jebel-et-Tur) and mount
Ebal
But who are these stones?
Kefa write:
1Pe 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of YHWH, and precious,
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to YHWH by Yehoshua the Messiah.
“Living stones
to build a spiritual house”. In order to use this stones (plural) the curse
must had to be removed. In mount
Ebal
We are going to see that the Ten Commands written on the
plastered stone were bringing curse by
disobedience, thus confirming that only in Messiah through obedience, the
curse is removed.
Deu 27:6 “Build the altar of יהוה
your Elohim with complete stones, and you shall offer burnt offerings on it to יהוה
your Elohim,
Deu
27:7 and shall offer peace
offerings, and eat there, and rejoice before יהוה your Elohim.
Deu
27:8 “and you shall write all
the Words of this Torah on the stones – plainly and well.”
Deu
27:9 and Mosheh and the
priests, the Lĕwites, spoke to all Yisra’ĕl, saying, “Be silent and hear, O
Yisra’ĕl: This day you have become the
people of יהוה your Elohim,
Deu
27:10 and you shall obey the
voice of יהוה your
Elohim, and do His commands and His laws which I command you today.”
The fact to “have become the people of Elohim” implies to
obey יהוה and do his commandment as
it is written verse 9 and 10. How it is possible that Christianity teaches the
opposite?
Deu
27:11 and Mosheh commanded the
people on that day, saying,
Deu
27:12 “These are to stand on Mount Gerizim
Deu
27:13 “And these are to stand on Mount Ěyḇal
Deu
27:14 “and the Lĕwites shall
speak with a loud voice and say to all the men of Yisra’ĕl:
Commentary from
Keil and delitzsch:
Deu 27:11-13
With the solemn erection of the
stones with the law written upon them, Israel was to transfer to the land the
blessing and curse of the law, as was already commanded in Deu_11:29; that is to say, according to the more
minute explanation of the command which is given here, the people themselves
were solemnly to give expression to the blessing and the curse: to the former
upon Mount Gerizim, and to the latter upon Ebal. On the situation of these
mountains, see at Deu_11:29. To this
end six tribes were to station themselves
upon the top or side of Gerizim, and
six upon the top or side of Ebal.
The blessing was to be uttered by the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar,
Joseph, and Benjamin, who sprang from the two wives of Jacob; and the curse by
Reuben, with the two sons of Leah's maid
Zilpah, and by Zebulun, with Dan and
Naphtali, the sons of Rachel's maid
Bilhah. It was natural that the utterance of the blessing should be assigned to the tribes which sprang from Jacob's
proper wives, since the sons of the wives occupied a higher position
than the sons of the maids - just as the blessing had pre-eminence over the
curse. But in order to secure the division into two sixes, it was necessary
that two of the eight sons of the wives should
be associated with those who pronounced the curses. The choice fell upon Reuben, because he had forfeited his right
of primogeniture by his incest (Gen_49:4),
and upon Zebulun, as the youngest son of
Leah. “They shall stand there upon
the curse:” i.e., to pronounce the curse.
It is also note
worthy to see that Ephraim and Manasseh are in Yosef on the side of the Mount
Gerizim
The mystical
aspect of the Tanak has been too long neglected and people have tried to found
out their own interpretation. The Brit
Chadasha, falsely called “New
Testament” cannot in anyway derive from the “Tanak”,
Now let us look
at the curse in the number of twelve! Twelve is the number for perfect
government on earth, twelve tribes, twelve apostles, twelve month…
We will look at
some comments to divide the curses according to the disobedience of the Ten
Commands, and thus confirming the fact that curse comes by rejecting the Torah.
Just let us read attentively the commentary from Adam Clarke
Deu 27:26
That confirmeth not all the
words of this law - The word כל col, “all”, is not found in any printed copy
of the Hebrew text; but the Samaritan preserves it, and so do six MSS. in the
collections of Kennicott and De Rossi, besides several copies of the Chaldee
Targum. The Septuagint also, and St.
Paul St.
Jerome
1. Dr.
Kennicott, who contends that it was the Decalogue that was written on the
stones mentioned in this chapter, says, “If we examine these twelve curses,
they will appear to contain a strong enforcement of the ten commands; and it is
highly probable that the curses were here proclaimed principally to secure
obedience to the commandments, as will be made more clear by the table: -
The first, second, third,
and fourth Commandments
(Sh’mot/Ex.20:1-11)
Gal_3:15 - Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image,
an abomination to the Lord, etc.
The fifth Commandment
(Sh’mot/Ex. 20:12)
Gal_3:16 - Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his
mother.
The sixth Commandment
(Sh’mot/Ex. 20:13)
Gal_3:25 - Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent
person.
Gal_3:24 - Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbor secretly.
Gal_3:18 - Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the
way.
The seventh Commandment
(Sh’mot/Ex.20:14)
Gal_3:20 - Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife.
Gal_3:21 - Cursed be he that lieth with any beast.
Gal_3:22 - Cursed be he that lieth with his sister.
Gal_3:23 - Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law.
The eighth Commandment
(Sh’mot/Ex.20:15)
Gal_3:17 - Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor’s landmark.
The ninth Commandment
(Sh’mot/Ex.20:16-17)
Gal_3:19 - Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the
stranger, fatherless, and widow.
The tenth Commandment
(Sh’mot/Ex.20:14)
Gal_3:26 - Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this
law to do them.”
Many will think this arrangement fanciful; and the
analogy far from being natural.
3. It is
worthy of remark that Moses assigns to the children of Rachel and Leah, the two
mothers of the family, the office of blessing the people, as being the most
honourable; and these he places on Mount
Gerizim
4. It is
strange how long the disgrace consequent on some flagrant transaction of a parent may cleave to his posterity!
See this exemplified in the posterity of Reuben. Hence, with great propriety we
may pray, Remember not, YHWH, our offenses, nor the offenses of our
forefathers; neither take thou vengeance of our sins.” - Litany. For the
offenses of our forefathers may be so remembered against their posterity, that
God, in the course of his providence, may
still keep up a controversy in secular matters with the descendants
(though even pious) of unholy ancestors;
for as all men are seminally (semnece)
included in the parents, they come into the world depraved with their
depravity, and in some sort liable to
their curses, though not so far as to affect their eternal interests
without the addition of their own personal offenses. Thus God may be said to
visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, even unto the third and fourth
generation; as he may have a controversy
with the land for the evil which has been done in it (i.e. idolatry), and
for which no proper atonement has been made. Why is it that at this moment Spain South America 300 years ago; and see now and adore the
awful hand of retributive justice! (December,
1811). We often see persons tried
and afflicted, for whose distresses we can give no legitimate reason. We
find others who, though they rise early, sit up late, work hard, eat the bread
of carefulness, and have a full knowledge of their business, yet never get on
in life. Who can account for this? Shall we say that some injustice in their
ancestors has brought down the displeasure of God upon the earthly possessions
that descended in that line, so that the goods ill gotten shall never be
permitted to multiply? I knew an honest man, dead many years since, who by
great diligence, punctuality, and integrity in his business, had acquired considerable
property. Some time before his death, having by will divided his substance
among his sons and his daughters, he expressed himself thus: “Children, you
need not fear the curse of God on this property; every penny of it was honestly
earned.” Many years have since elapsed, and the blessing of God has been in the
basket and in the store of all his children. Parents! Leave nothing behind you
that you cannot say before your God, with a clear conscience, “This has been
honestly earned.” If all bequests of a contrary description were to be deducted
from last wills and testaments, the quantum of descending property would be, in
many cases, small indeed.
My commentary:
I have been in the Philippines and see the poverty of
this country, during almost three years I spent there (before I go back there
in 2011 Elohim willing), I have observed how the great majority of this nation
follow after idolatry in different forms, the principal been the “cult of maria”. I have spoken with
people but they just laugh and keep their old ways. Misery is rampant and the
children grow in a system without future for them.
I have observed similar situation in other Asian countries likeIndia Vietnam ,
or Madagascar South America and other
places. It doesn’t take long to see the judgment that יהוה brings on those nations,
before he will bring judgment on the rich nations who also have rejected the
truth.
I have observed similar situation in other Asian countries like
Deu 27:15 ‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved or molded
image, an abomination to יהוה, the
work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the
people shall answer and say, ‘Amĕn!’
Deu
27:16 ‘Cursed is he who makes
light of his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amĕn!’
Deu
27:17 ‘Cursed is he who moves
his neighbor’s boundary.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amĕn!’
Deu
27:18 ‘Cursed is he who
misleads the blind in the way.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amĕn!’
Deu
27:19 ‘Cursed is he who twists
the right-ruling of the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.’ And all the
people shall say, ‘Amĕn!’
Deu
27:20 ‘Cursed is he who lies
with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s bed.’ And all the
people shall say, ‘Amĕn!’
Deu
27:21 ‘Cursed is he who lies
with any beast.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amĕn!’
Deu
27:22 ‘Cursed is he who lies
with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And
all the people shall say, ‘Amĕn!’
Deu
27:23 ‘Cursed is he who lies
with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amĕn!’
Deu
27:24 ‘Cursed is he who smites
his neighbor secretly.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amĕn!’
Deu 27:25 Cursed
be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall
say, so be it.
Deu
27:26 ‘Cursed is he who does
not establish the Words of this Torah.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amĕn!’
12
different curses are proclaimed. Twelve been the number for divine government;
the curses speak for themselves. Do not think that only this twelve bring
curses, the last one contain all other in itself. This is the Torah and its entire
commandments. We will see that in the next chapter. Without Yehoshua, and
following his steps we are not free, brut remain under יהוה
wrath.
Chapter 28.Blessings and curses:
Similar as
in the last chapter we find again blessings and curses. Blessing for obedience,
curse for disobedience. Many have read this chapter, and don’t even realize
that we find ourselves under the Torah’s rules and that curses are still
present today.
Some will
tell you, “We are not under curse, but
under grace” this is typical Christian claim. I will say that those who
claim to be free from the curse, because they are under “grace” are blind and ignore the truth.
Today those
delivered form the curse are those who have accepted the deliverance that is in
Messiah Yehoshua and follow his steps in obedience to the Torah. We find
the first steps of deliverance in the book of Acts for those who believe in the
Name of Yehoshua (Yeshua):
Ya’acov
(James) sentence:
Act 15:19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble
not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to YHWH:
Act 15:20 But
that we write unto them, that they
abstain from pollutions of idols,
and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Act 15:21 For Moses
of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.
The rule is
very simple, once somebody come to Messiah he stop from:
A.
Worshiping idols
B.
Fornication. Every form of unchastity is
included in the term “fornication.”
C.
Thing strangled. As adjective “strangled,” used
of animals deprived of life by choking, and so without the shedding of the
blood i.e. strangulation. It is therefore recommended for the disciples of
Messiah not to eat the meat from the unbelievers, not knowing if the blood has
been drawn or the animal killed by strangulation.
D.
From blood, included during the monthly period
for a woman. Many country have in their tradition to eat blood from animals in
different form , I have seen it in the Philippines ,
but I know it also from France
or Germany
E.
To go toe the Assembly every Shabbat and learn
the Torah from Moshe. At this time it was possible for believer to mix
themselves with Yehudin in the
synagogue.
These are
the first and important steps to be practice for those who earnestly wish to
follow Messiah Yehoshua. All other commands will be learn when somebody
These four
steps (A, B, C, D) through Messiah Yehoshua remove the curse from our life of
which speak the prophets:
Hos 4:13 They
sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the
hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit
whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.
Hos 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
Hos 9:3 They shall not dwell in YHWH's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt , and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria
Eze 18:3 as I live, saith the Master YHWH, ye shall
not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel
Eze 18:4 behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the
father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Eze 18:5 But if a
man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
Eze 18:6 and hath not eaten upon the mountains,
neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols
of the house of Israel
All this
was against the Torah (Vayyiqra 17-18, 20:1-5, 25.
Idolatry = Jealousy of יהוה
Deu 4:23 Take
heed unto yourselves, lest ye
forget the covenant of YHWH your Elohim, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the
likeness of any thing, which YHWH
thy Elohim hath forbidden thee.
Deu 4:24 for YHWH thy Elohim is a consuming fire, even a jealous El.
Unfortunately
many folks today ignore the precepts of יהוה and find themselves under a curse. Many time the
curse come from the other generation so that we can’t see it. I remember when I
was a naïve believers some twenty years ago, Christians told me that the curse
is no more, until one day I read a book from somebody who wrote about the curse
in D’varim (Deut.) 28. This made me to think about and I was overwhelm in my
heart by these curse, I began to search my heart in order to repent of all the
sins, the Ruach HaQodesh (Set Apart
Spirit) brought to my remembrance. The process was long it went through
many years, again and again in different situation, the Ruach HaQodesh brought
back sin which sometime were from my youth, when I was very young. Every time I
repented and called the blood of Messiah, peace came in my heart, until I was
prompted again with another past sin. Today I am grateful of this process, Aba יהוה brought me so far as to
be able to accept the Torah and to follow his precepts, statutes and commands
with all my heart.
The Chapter 28 starts with blessing up to the verse
14. great promises for following the Torah and obey the voice of יהוה
Deu 28:1 “And it shall be, if you diligently
obey the voice of יהוה
your Elohim, to guard to do all His commands which I command you today, that יהוה your Elohim
shall set you high above all nations of the earth.
Deu
28:2 “And all these blessings
shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim:
Deu
28:3 “Blessed are you in the city, and blessed are you in the field.
Deu
28:4 “Blessed are the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your ground and the
fruit of your livestock – the increase of your cattle and the offspring of
your flocks.
Deu
28:5 “Blessed are your basket
and your kneading bowl.
Deu
28:6 “Blessed are you when you
come in, and blessed are you when
you go out.
Deu
28:7 “יהוה causes your enemies who rise against you to be smitten before your face – they come out against you one way
and flee before you seven ways.
Deu
28:8 “יהוה commands the blessing on you in your storehouses
and in all to which you set your hand, and
shall bless you in the land which יהוה your
Elohim is giving you.
Deu
28:9 “יהוה does establish you as a set-apart people to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you guard the commands
of יהוה your Elohim and walk in His ways.
Deu
28:10 “And all peoples of the earth shall see that the Name of יהוה is called upon you, and they
shall be afraid of you.
Deu
28:11 “and יהוה shall make you to have plenty of what is good, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your
livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land of which יהוה
swore to your fathers to give you.
Deu
28:12 “יהוה opens to you His good treasure, the
heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work
of your hand. And you shall lend to
many nations, but you do not borrow.
Deu
28:13 “And יהוה shall make you the head and not the tail. And you
shall be only on top, and not be
beneath, if you obey the commands of יהוה
your Elohim, which I command you today, to guard
and do.
Deu
28:14 “And do not turn aside
from any of the Words which I am commanding you today, right or left, to go
after other mighty ones to serve them.
The first fourteen verses have described what happen to
the children of Israel
Before we start we the curse, have we sincerely repented
for our sins and the sins of our fathers and our forefathers, have we
acknowledge how foolish our ancestors were to follow after idols, have we spend
time to search our heart to listen to what the Ruach HaQodesh want us to know?
If not, brothers and sisters it’s time to take time and
implore יהוה
to help us to repent for all of our household who have brought so much trouble
on us. This has nothing to do with your salvation it has to do with life
condition.
Hos 12:8 And Ephraim
said, Yet I am become rich, I
have found me out substance: in all my
labours they shall find none iniquity in
me that were sin.
Hos 13:12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin
is hid.
Hos 13:13 The sorrows of a travailing woman
shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place
of the breaking forth of children.
“Travailing
woman = Birth pang before Messiah’s coming)
Dan 9:20 and whiles I (Daniel) was speaking, and
praying, and confessing my sin and
the sin of my people Israel
Lam 4:6 for the
punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the
punishment of the sin of Sodom
Isa 30:1 Woe
to the rebellious children, saith
YHWH, that take counsel, but not of me;
and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:
In verse 15 we
see again the principle of day and night, reward and punishment.
Deu
28:15 “And it shall be, if you
do not obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to
guard to do all His commands and His laws which I command you today, that all these curses shall come upon you and
overtake you:
Moshe is speaking in a prophetic way. Israel
Christians boast themselves telling people, “we are blessed”, we are free from the
bondage of the law. Many from these so called pastors proclaim material
blessing and measure their blessing according to the money they have, saying
that if somebody lack of money, he is under a curse, or it is because he/she is
under sin not paying tithe to the “church”. Is it true?
What will happen when the plagues from Revelation
increase? When the great tribulation will come? The last period before the
second coming of Messiah is said to be seven years. What will happen with all
these people boasting themselves today?
We are going to see that many of these plagues have
already come upon of Elohim’s people and are still coming today in different form.
The error is to believe that because some countries like
France, Great Britain , US, Holland , Danemark , Australia , Canada ,
Spain
Sin call upon judgment (YeshaYahu 50:1)
Yehoshua speaks also of terrible time to come upon the
children of Israel
By reading the curses we should be able to see the weight
of them in personal and collective form.
We know that we have been restored to Elohim through
Messiah who has made us acceptable unto Him through his sacrifice
2Co 5:19 that is, that Elohim was in Messiah
restoring the world to favour unto Himself, not reckoning their trespasses to
them, and has committed to us the word of restoration to favour.
2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a renewed creature – the old matters have passed away, see, all matters have become renewed!1
Footnote: 1Rom. 6:2-22, Gal . 2:20, Eph.
4:22-24, Col. 3:10, 1 John 3:9-10.
2Co 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we
might become the righteousness of Elohim.
Gal 3:13 Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the Torah, having become a curse
for us – for it has been written, “Cursed is everyone
who hangs upon a tree.”1 – Footnote:
1Dt. 21:23.
Gal 3:14 in order that the blessing of Aḇraham might come upon the nations in
Messiah יהושע, to receive the promise of
the Spirit through belief.
The last completion will be the redemption of the body
for which we wait with endurance:
Tovia from Yashanet gives some point concerning the
plagues. I’m going to mark them for you to see how they work. At the end I will
give some information concerning the plagues from Revelation in our days and
see what happen to different groups of people on earth.
Rom 8:23 And not only so, but even we ourselves who have the first-fruits of the
Spirit, we ourselves also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the
adoption, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 for in this expectation we were saved, but expectation that is seen is
not expectation, for when anyone sees, does he expect it?
Rom 8:25 and if we expect what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with
endurance.
THE CURSES:
Deu
28:16 “Cursed are you in the
city, and cursed are you in the field.
Deu
28:17 “Cursed is your basket
and your kneading bowl.
Deu
28:18 “Cursed is the fruit of
your body and the fruit of your land, the increase of your cattle and the
offspring of your flocks.
We see that the curse brings the reverse of the blessing!
Verses 16-18: Read Revelation 6:5-6
Rev 6:5 and when He opened the third seal,
I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” And I looked and saw a black horse, and he who sat on it
holding a pair of scales in his hand.
Rev 6:6 and I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wage, and
three quarts of barley for a day’s wage. And do not harm the oil and the wine.”
We see here the “price
explosion” as it is today all around the world and many cannot afford to
pay, but the verse state ‘do not harm the
oil and the wine” not the vine”
referring to what is Qadosh to יהוה
Hos 2:21 and it shall come to pass in that
day, I will hear, saith YHWH, I will
hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
Hos 2:22 and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
Hos 2:23 and I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I
will say to them which were not my
people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my Elohim.
Zec 4:12 and I answered again, and said unto him,
What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
Black, in the Scriptures, is the
image of fear, of famine, of death. Lam_5:10;
“our skin was black like an oven, because of the terrible famine.” Jer_14:2; “because of the drought Judah
(c) The balances: “and he that sat
on him had a pair of balances in his hand.” The original word rendered here as
“a pair of balances,” is ζυγὸν zugon. This word properly means
a yoke, serving to couple anything together, as a yoke for cattle. Hence it is
used to denote the beam of a balance, or of a pair of scales - and is evidently
so used here. The idea is, that something was to be weighed, in order to
ascertain either its quantity or its value. Scales or balances are the emblems
of justice or equity (compare Job_31:6;
Psa_62:9; Pro_11:1;
Pro_16:11); and when joined with
symbols that denote the sale of grain and fruit by weight, become the symbol of
scarcity. Thus, “bread by weight” Lev_26:26
denotes scarcity. So in Eze_4:16, “And
they shall eat bread by weight.” The use of balances here as a symbol would
signify that something was to be accurately and carefully weighed out.
The connection leads us to suppose
that this would pertain to the necessaries of life, and that it would occur
either in consequence of scarcity, or because there would be an accurate or
severe exaction, as in collecting a revenue on these articles. The balance was
commonly the symbol of equity and justice; but it was also, sometimes, the
symbol of exaction and oppression, as in Hos_12:7;
“The balance of deceit is in his hands; he loveth to oppress.” If the balances
stood alone, and there were no proclamation as to what was to occur, we should
look, under this seal, to a time of the exact administration of justice, as
scales or balances are now used as emblems of the rigid application of the laws
and of the principles of justice in courts, or in public affairs. If this representation
stood alone, or if the black horse and the scales constituted the whole of the
symbol, we should look for some severe administration,
or perhaps some heavy calamity under a rigorous administration of laws. The reference, however, to the “wheat and barley,” and to the price
for which they were to be weighed out, serves still further to limit and define
the meaning of the symbol as having reference to the necessaries
of life - to the productions of the land - to the
actual capital of the country. Whether this refers to scarcity, or to taxation,
or both, must be determined by the other parts of the symbol.
(d) The proclamation: And I heard a
voice in the midst of the four beasts say. That is, from the throne, Rev_4:6. The voice was not that of one of the
four beasts, but it seemed to come from among them. As the rider went forth,
this was the proclamation that was made in regard to him; or this is what is
symbolized in his going forth, to wit, that there would be such a state of
things that a measure of wheat would be sold for a penny, etc. The proclamation
consists essentially of two things - what refers to the price or value of wheat
and barley, and what requires that care shall be taken not to injure the oil
and the wine. Each of these demands explanation. (Albert barnes)
Deu 28:19 “Cursed are you when you come in, and cursed are
you when you go out.
Deu
28:20 “יהוה sends
on you the curse, the confusion, and the rebuke in all that you set your hand
to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the
evil of your doings by which you have forsaken Me.
Deu
28:21 “יהוה makes
the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are
going to possess.
Deu
28:22 “יהוה smites
you with wasting disease, and with inflammation, and with burning, and with extreme heat, and with the sword, and with blight, and with mildew. And they shall pursue you until
you perish.
Verse 22. Seven sicknesses
only in this verse. Seven being the number for divine perfection on Earth; this
is for the last days, the days we are living now.
Verses 21-22:
compare Revelation 6:7-8.
Rev 6:7 and when He opened the fourth
seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and
see.”
Rev 6:8 And I looked and saw a pale
horse. And he who sat on it had the
name Death, and the grave followed with him. And authority was given to
them over a fourth of the earth, to kill
with sword, and with hunger, and
with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
What
does Yehoshua told his disciples,
Mat 24:7 for
nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall
be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Have
you ever inquired concerning the last one hundred years? There was no peace on
the earth, even today while the “great
nations” boast to be at peace, war is everywhere, millions of people die
every day in anyplace of the world.
יהוה
remind
the children of Israel what he spoke to them in Vayyqra 26:16 for disobedience.
Lev 26:15 and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your
soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that
ye break my covenant:
Lev 26:16 I also will do this unto you; I will even
appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume
the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for
your enemies shall eat it.
Do you know that during the last WWII, more than fifty
millions people die? During the Spanish influenza millions of people die.
“By the beats
of the earth”. It is good to remember the symbolic, the “beast of the earth” a euphemism for
brutal people. I don’t believe that it is to be taken in the literal. Like we
read the following verse your heavens
shall be bronze, and the earth iron”, this is in metaphor for heaviness as
we know that bronze and iron are heavy metals.
Deu
28:23 “And your heavens which
are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you iron.
Deu
28:24 “יהוה makes
the rain of your land powder and dust; from the heavens it comes down on you
until you are destroyed.
Verses 23-24: Read
Revelation 6:12-17
Rev 6:12 And I looked when He opened the
sixth seal and saw a great earthquake came to be. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.
Rev 6:13 And the stars of the heaven fell
to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe figs, being shaken by a strong
wind.
Rev 6:14 and heaven departed like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain
and island was moved out of its place.
Rev 6:15 and the sovereigns of the earth,
and the great ones, and the rich ones, and the commanders, and the mighty, and every slave
and every free one, hid themselves in the caves and in the
rocks of the mountains,
Rev 6:16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him sitting on the
throne and from the wrath of the Lamb,
Rev 6:17 because the great day of His
wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
Rev. Verse 12-13 we compare with Yehoshua’s words:
Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those
days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and
the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Concerning the sun and the moon we can understand that it
will be a total eclipse so that the sun will not give its light and the moon
will be covered with red colour during the eclipse. It could be that יהוה will let the sun and the moon
in this state during a certain period in order for the all world to be under
this sign, has he not stop the sun in the days of Yohushua? It will be supernatural events which men have not
seen before!
Jos 10:13 and the sun stood still, and the
moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is
not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of
heaven, and hasted not to go down about
a whole day.
“The stars
shall fall from heaven”. Today astronomy science explain that many comets are running throughout the
universe, some been many kilometres wide and travel in the space at light
speed. They also say that according to their calculation, which of course
cannot be rely on some of these comets could
hit the earth and bring great damage.
The Greek word used for “star” is “aster” known
to us as “aster” in this category
could also be a “comet” mean.
Deu 28:25 “יהוה causes you to
be defeated before your enemies – you go out one way against them and flee
seven ways before them. And you shall become a horror to all the reigns of the
earth.
Deu
28:26 “And your carcasses shall
be food for all the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth, with no
one to frighten them away.
Deu
28:27 “יהוה shall
smite you with the boils of Mitsrayim, with tumours, with the scab, and with
the itch, from which you are unable to be healed.
Deu
28:28 “יהוה shall
smite you with madness and blindness and bewilderment of heart.
Verses 26-28, read
Revelation 6:7-8
Rev 6:7 and when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, come
and see.
Rev 6:8 and
I looked, and behold a pale horse:
and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power
was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and
with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Deu
28:29 “And you shall be groping
at noon, as a blind man gropes in darkness, and not prosper in your ways. And you shall be only oppressed and plundered all the days, with no one to save you.
Deu
28:30 “You become engaged to a
wife, but another man does lie with her. You build a house, but do not dwell in
it. You plant a vineyard, but do not use its fruit.
Deu
28:31 “Your ox is slaughtered
before your eyes, but you do not eat of it. Your donkey is violently taken from
before you, and it is not given back to you. Your sheep are given to your
enemies, with no one to save them.
Deu
28:32 “Your sons and your
daughters are given to another people, and your eyes look and fail for them all
day long, and your hand powerless.
Deu
28:33 “A people whom you have not known eat the fruit of your land and all
your labours. And you shall be only oppressed and crushed all the days.
Deu
28:34 “And you shall be
maddened because of the sight which your eyes see.
Deu
28:35 “יהוה smites
you in the knees and on the legs with evil boils of which you are unable to be
healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.
Deu
28:36 “יהוה brings
you and the sovereign whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor
your fathers have known, and there you
shall serve other mighty ones, wood and stone.
Deu
28:37 “Thus you shall become an
astonishmen, a proverb, and a mockery among all the peoples to which יהוה drives
you.
Verse 33-34. Today countries like France, UK,
Germany, and other European countries are invaded
with people coming from African and north African countries, and from the
Eastern countries and also from Afghanistan not in a small number but by
thousands upon thousands entering without legal papers and working with
documents. The governments try to protect from this illegal entry but the flux
never stop!
Verse 37
Jer 24:9 ‘And I shall make them a
horror to all the reigns of the earth,
for evil, to be a reproach and a byword, a mockery and a curse, in all the
places to which I drive them.
Zec 8:13 ‘And it shall be, as you were a curse among the gentiles, O house of Yehuḏah and house of Yisra’ĕl, so I
shall save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, let your hands be
strong.’
Verses 38-39 compare Mattityahu 24: 7b what Yehoshua says
and read Revelation 6:5-6.
Mat 24:7 “For nation shall rise against nation, and reign against reign. And there shall be scarcities of food, and
deadly diseases, and earthquakes in places.
Deu 28:38 “You take much seed out into the field but gather
little in, for the locust consumes it.
Deu
28:39 “You plant vineyards, and
shall labour, but you neither drink of the wine nor gather, for the worm eats
it.
Deu
28:40 “You have olive trees in
all your border, but do not anoint with oil, for your olives drop off.
Deu
28:41 “You bring forth sons and
daughters, but they are not with you, for they go into captivity.
Deu
28:42 “Locusts possess all your
trees and the fruit of your ground.
Deu
28:43 “The sojourner who is
among you rises higher and higher above you, but you come down lower and lower.
43. How it is today? Are not the Palestinians founding
favor before all the nations of the earth? Who is the “bad guy” today? Is not Israel Israel
Verses 44 is the reverse
of verses 12 and 13:
Do you know that France
has a debt of One thousand seven hundred billions of euro, the US
Deu
28:44 “He lends to you, but you
do not lend to him. He is the head, and you are the tail.
Deu
28:45 “And all these curses
shall come upon you, and they shall pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed,
because you did not obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to
guard His commands and His laws which He commanded you.
Deu
28:46 “And they shall be upon
you for a sign and for a wonder, and on your seed, forever.
Deu
28:47 “Because you did not
serve יהוה
your Elohim with joy and gladness of heart for all
the plenty,
Deu 28:48 you shall serve your enemies whom יהוה sends
against you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in need of all.
And he shall put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.
Verse 49. Rome
has since Constantine (4 century C.E.) been a Hellenistic-Greek culture
49-57. Read
Revelation 6:3-4
Rev 6:3 and when He opened the second
seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.”
Rev 6:4 and another horse, fiery red,
went out. And it was given to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another.
And a great sword was given to him.
In the year 135
C .E. during the revolt lead by Bar Kochba the Romans destroyed Yerushalayim and the Yehudin ate
their own children, because there was no more food. Yehoshua spoke of the
coming destruction of the Temple
Mar 13:1 and as He went out of the Set-apart
Place Temple
Mar
13:2 and יהושע
answering, said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall
be left upon another at all, which shall not be thrown down
Jamieson,
Fausset and Brown write: Titus ordered the whole city and temple to be
demolished [Josephus, Wars of the Jews, 7.1.1]; Eleazar wished they had
all died before seeing that holy city destroyed by enemies’ hands, and before
the temple was so profanely dug up [Wars of the Jews, 7.8.7].
Deu
28:49 “יהוה brings
a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the
eagle flies, a nation whose language you shall not understand,
Deu
28:50 a fierce-looking nation,
which shows no regard for the elderly nor show favour to the young,
Deu
28:51 and they shall eat the
fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your land, until you are destroyed.
They leave you no grain, nor new wine, nor oil, nor the increase of your cattle
or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you.
Deu
28:52 “And they shall besiege
you at all your gates till your high and
fenced walls, in which you are trusting, come down in all your land. And
they shall besiege you at all your gates in all your land which יהוה your
Elohim has given you.
Deu
28:53 “And you shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and
your daughters whom יהוה your Elohim has
given you, in the siege and distress in
which your enemies distress you.
Deu
28:54 “The man among you who is
tender, and who is very delicate, his eye is evil against his brother, against
the wife of his bosom, and against the rest of his children whom he leaves
behind,
Deu
28:55 against giving any of them the flesh of his
children that he eats, because it is all that has been left to him in the siege
and distress with which your enemy distresses you in all your gates.
Deu
28:56 “The tender and the
delicate woman among you, who have not tried to set the sole of her foot on the
ground because of her delicateness and tenderness, her eye is evil against the
husband of her bosom, and against her son, and against her daughter,
Deu
28:57 and against her seed
which comes out from between her feet, and her children whom she bears, for she
eats them in secret for lack of all, in the siege and distress with which your
enemy distresses you in all your gates.
Verses 49-57. This already
happened during the destruction of Jerusalem 70 C .E.
by Vespasian and Titus. The “Jew” Historian
Josephus, mention with details what happened during this terrible period, I
encourage each of you to read this excerpt from Josephus to see how precise יהוה is when speaking by the mouth
of his prophets, and acts according to what is spoken:
Isa 55:10 for as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and
returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and
bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
Isa 55:11 so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my
mouth: it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereto I sent it.
Wars of the
Jews
Book 2 Chapter
3….. 3. Since therefore the Romans were sorely
afflicted by both these circumstances, they set fire to the cloisters, which
were works to be admired, both on account of their magnitude and costliness.
Whereupon those that were above them were presently encompassed with the flame,
and many of them perished therein; as many of them also were destroyed by the
enemy, who came suddenly upon them; some of them also threw themselves down
from the walls backward, and some there were who, from the desperate condition
they were in, prevented the fire, by killing
themselves with their own swords; but so many of them as crept out from the
walls, and came upon the Romans, were easily mastere by them, by reason of the astonishment they were
under; until at last some of the Jews being destroyed, and others dispersed by
the terror they were in, the
soldiers fell upon the treasure of God, which w now deserted, and plundered
about four hundred talents, Of which sum Sabinus got together all that was not
carried away by the soldiers.
Book 3 Chapter
1:
VESPASIAN IS SENT INTO SYRIA
1. WHEN Nero was informed of
the Romans' ill success in Judea, a concealed consternation and terror, as is
usual in such cases, fell upon him; although he openly looked very big, and was
very angry, and said that what had happened was rather owing to the negligence
of the commander, than to any valor of the enemy: and as he thought it fit for
him, who bare the burden of the whole empire, to despise such misfortunes, he
now pretended so to do, and to have a soul superior to all such sad accidents
whatsoever. Yet did the disturbance that was in his soul plainly appear by the
solicitude he was in [how to recover his affairs again].
2. And as he was deliberating
to whom he should commit the care of the East, now it was in so great a
commotion, and who might be best able to punish the Jews for their rebellion,
and might prevent the same distemper from seizing upon the neighboring nations
also, - he found no one but Vespasian equal to the task, and able to undergo
the great burden of so mighty a war, seeing he was growing an old man already
in the camp, and from his youth had been exercised in warlike exploits: he was
also a man that had long ago pacified the west, and made it subject to the
Romans, when it had been put into disorder by the Germans; he had also
recovered to them Britain by his arms, which had been little known before (1) whereby he procured to his
father Claudius to have a triumph bestowed on him without any sweat or labor of
his own.
3. So Nero esteemed these
circumstances as favorable omens, and saw that Vespasian's age gave him sure
experience, and great skill, and that he had his sons as hostages for his fidelity
to himself, and that the flourishing age they were in would make them fit
instruments under their father's prudence. Perhaps also there was some
interposition of Providence
Book 5 CHAPTER
1
CONCERNING THE SEDITIONS AT JERUSALEM
1. WHEN therefore Titus had
marched over that desert which lies between Egypt
and Syria
Whereby it came to pass that
John did both receive and inflict great damage, and that easily, as he was
fought against on both sides; and the same advantage that Eleazar and his party
had over him, since he was beneath them, the same advantage had he, by his higher
situation, over Simon. On which account he easily repelled the attacks that
were made from beneath, by the weapons thrown from their hands only; but was
obliged to repel those that threw their darts from the temple above him, by his
engines of war; for he had such engines as threw darts, and javelins, and
stones, and that in no small number, by which he did not only defend himself
from such as fought against him, but
slew moreover many of the priests, as they were about their sacred
ministrations. For notwithstanding these men were mad with all sorts of
impiety, yet did they still admit those that desired to offer their sacrifices,
although they took care to search the people of their own country beforehand,
and both suspected and watched them; while they were not so much afraid of
strangers, who, although they had gotten leave of them, how cruel soever they
were, to come into that court, were yet often destroyed by this sedition; for
those darts that were thrown by the engines came with that force, that they
went over all the buildings, and reached
as far as the altar, and the temple itself, and fell upon the priests, and
those (2) that were about the sacred
offices; insomuch that many persons who came thither with great zeal from the
ends of the earth, to offer sacrifices at this celebrated place, which was
esteemed holy by all mankind, fell down
before their own sacrifices themselves, and sprinkled that altar which was venerable among all men, both
Greeks and Barbarians, with their own
blood; till the dead bodies of strangers were mingled together with those
of their own country, and those of profane persons with those of the priests,
and the blood of all sorts of dead
carcasses stood in lakes in the holy courts themselves. And now, "O
must wretched city, what misery so great as this didst thou suffer from the
Romans, when they came to purify thee from thy intestine hatred! 'For thou couldst be no longer a place fit for
God, nor couldst thou long continue in being, after thou hadst been a
sepulcher for the bodies of thy own people, and hadst made the holy house
itself a burying-place in this civil war of thine. Yet mayst thou again grow
better, if perchance thou wilt hereafter appease the anger of that God who is
the author of thy destruction." But I must restrain myself from these
passions by the rules of history, since this is not a proper time for
domestical lamentations, but for historical narrations; I therefore return to
the operations that follow in this sedition. (3)
Chapter 3:
2. But Titus, intending to pitch his camp nearer to the city than
Scopus, placed as many of his choice horsemen and footmen as he thought
sufficient opposite to the Jews, to prevent their sallying out upon them, while
he gave orders for the whole army to level the distance, as far as the wall of
the city. So they threw down all the
hedges and walls which the inhabitants had made about their gardens and groves
of trees, and cut down all the fruit trees that lay between them and the wall
of the city, and filled up all the hollow places and the chasms, and
demolished the rocky precipices with iron instruments; and thereby made all the
place level from Scopus to Herod's monuments, which adjoined to the pool called
the Serpent's Pool.
CHAPTER
4
THE DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM
1. THE city of Jerusalem was fortified with three walls, on such parts
as were not encompassed with unpassable valleys; for in such places it had but
one wall. The city was built upon two hills, which are opposite to one another,
and have a valley to divide them asunder; at which valley the corresponding
rows of houses on both hills end. Of these hills, that which contains the upper
city is much higher, and in length more direct. Accordingly, it was called the
"Citadel," by king David; he was the father of that Solomon who built
this temple at the first; but it is by us called the "Upper
Market-place." But the other hill, which was called "Acra," and
sustains the lower city, is of the shape of a moon when she is horned; over
against this there was a third hill, but naturally lower than Acra, and parted
formerly from the other by a broad valley. However, in those times when the
Asamoneans reigned, they filled up that valley with earth, and had a mind to
join the city to the temple. They then took off part of the height of Acra, and
reduced it to be of less elevation than it was before, that the temple might be
superior to it. Now the Valley of the Cheesemongers, as it was called, and was
that which we told you before distinguished the hill of the upper city from that
of the lower, extended as far as Siloam; for that is the name of a fountain
which hath sweet water in it, and this in great plenty also. But on the
outsides, these hills are surrounded by deep valleys, and by reason of the
precipices to them belonging on both sides they are every where unpassable.
Chapter 11:
1. SO now Titus's banks were
advanced a great way, notwithstanding his soldiers had been very much
distressed from the wall. He then sent a party of horsemen, and ordered they
should lay ambushes for those that went out into the valleys to gather food.
Some of these were indeed fighting men, who were not contented with what they
got by rapine; but the greater part of them were poor people, who were deterred
from deserting by the concern they were under for their own relations; for they could not hope to escape away,
together with their wives and children, without the knowledge of the
seditious; nor could they think of leaving these relations to be slain by the
robbers on their account; nay, the
severity of the famine made them bold in thus going out; so nothing
remained but that, when they were concealed from the robbers, they should be
taken by the enemy; and when they were going to be taken, they were forced to
defend themselves for fear of being punished; as after they had fought, they
thought it too late to make any supplications for mercy; so they were first whipped, and then tormented
with all sorts of tortures, before they died, and were then crucified before the wall of the city.
This miserable procedure made Titus greatly to pity them, while they caught every day five hundred Jews;
nay, some days they caught more: yet
it did not appear to be safe for him to let those that were taken by force go
their way, and to set a guard over so many he saw would be to make such as
great deal them useless to him. The main reason why he did not forbid that
cruelty was this, that he hoped the Jews might perhaps yield at that sight, out
of fear lest they might themselves afterwards be liable to the same cruel treatment.
So the soldiers, out of the wrath and hatred they bore the Jews, nailed those they caught, one after one
way, and another after another, to the crosses, by way of jest, when their
multitude was so great, that room was wanting for the crosses, and crosses
wanting for the bodies.
Chapter 12:
Titus began the wall from the camp of the Assyrians, where his own camp
was pitched, and drew it down to the lower parts of Cenopolis; thence it went
along the valley of Cedron, to the Mount of Olives; it then bent towards the
south, and encompassed the mountain as far as the rock called Peristereon, and
that other hill which lies next it, and is over the valley which reaches to
Siloam; whence it bended again to the west, and went down to the valley of the
Fountain, beyond which it went up again at the monument of Ananus the high
priest, and encompassing that mountain where Pompey had formerly pitched his
camp, it returned back to the north side of the city, and was carried on as far
as a certain village called "The House of the Erebinthi;" after which
it encompassed Herod's monument, and there, on the east, was joined to Titus's
own camp, where it began. Now the length of this wall was forty furlongs, one
only abated. Now at this wall without were erected thirteen places to keep
garrison in, whose circumferences, put together, amounted to ten furlongs; the
whole was completed in three days; so that what would naturally have required
some months was done in so short an interval as is incredible. When Titus had
therefore encompassed the city with this wall, and put garrisons into proper
places, be went round the wall, at the first watch of the night, and observed
how the guard was kept; the second watch he allotted to Alexander; the
commanders of legions took the third watch. They also cast lots among
themselves who should be upon the watch in the night time, and who should go
all night long round the spaces that were interposed between the garrisons.
3. So all hope of escaping was
now cut off from the Jews, together with their liberty of going out of the
city. Then did the famine widen its
progress, and devoured the people by whole houses and families; the upper rooms were full of women and
children that were dying by famine, and the lanes of the city were full of
the dead bodies of the aged; the children also and the young men wandered about
the market-places like shadows, all swelled with the famine, and fell down
dead, wheresoever their misery seized them. As for burying them, those that were sick themselves were not able to
do it; and those that were hearty and well were deterred from doing it by
the great multitude of those dead bodies, and by the uncertainty there was how
soon they should die themselves; for many
died as they were burying others, and many went to their coffins before
that fatal hour was come. Nor was there any lamentations made under these
calamities, nor were heard any mournful complaints; but the famine confounded
all natural passions; for those who were just going to die looked upon those
that were gone to rest before them with dry eyes and open mouths. A deep
silence also, and a kind of deadly night, had seized upon the city; while yet the robbers were still more terrible
than these miseries were themselves; for they brake open those houses which
were no other than graves of dead bodies, and plundered them of what they had; and carrying off the coverings of
their bodies, went out laughing, and tried
the points of their swords in their dead bodies; and, in order to prove what
metal they were made of they thrust some of those through that still lay
alive upon the ground; but for those that entreated them to lend them their
right hand and their sword to despatch them, they were too proud to grant their
requests, and left them to be consumed
by the famine. Now every one of
these died with their eyes fixed upon the temple, and left the seditious
alive behind them. Now the seditious at first gave orders that the dead should
be buried out of the public treasury, as not enduring the stench of their dead
bodies. But afterwards, when they could not do that, they had them cast down from the walls into the valleys beneath.
4. However, when Titus, in going his rounds along those valleys, saw them full of dead bodies, and the thick putrefaction running
about them, he gave a groan; and, spreading
out his hands to heaven, called God to witness that this was not his doing; and
such was the sad case of the city itself. But the Romans were very
joyful, since none of the seditious could now make sallies out of the city,
because they were themselves disconsolate, and the famine already touched them
also. These Romans besides had great plenty of corn and other necessaries out
of Syria, and out of the neighboring provinces; many of whom would stand near
to the wall of the city, and show the people what great quantities of
provisions they had, and so make the enemy more sensible of their famine, by
the great plenty, even to satiety, which they had themselves.
Chapter
13
7. and, indeed, why do I relate these particular calamities? while
Manneus, the son of Lazarus, came running to Titus at this very time, and told
him that there had been carried out through that one gate, which was intrusted
to his care, no fewer than a hundred and
fifteen thousand eight hundred and eighty dead bodies (150 880), in
the interval between the fourteenth day of the month Xanthieus, [Nisan,] when
the Romans pitched their camp by the city, and the first day of the month
Panemus [Tamuz]. This was itself a prodigious multitude; and though this man
was not himself set as a governor at that gate, yet was he appointed to pay the
public stipend for carrying these bodies out, and so was obliged of necessity
to number them, while the rest were buried by their relations; though all their
burial was but this, to bring them away, and cast them out of the city. After
this man there ran away to Titus many of the eminent citizens, and told him the
entire number of the poor that were dead, and that no fewer than six hundred
thousand were thrown out at the gates, though still the number of the rest
could not be discovered; and they told him further, that when they were no
longer able to carry out the dead bodies of the poor, they laid their corpses
on heaps in very large houses, and shut them up therein; as also that a medimnus
of wheat was sold for a talent; and that when, a while afterward, it was not
possible to gather herbs, by reason the city was all walled about, some persons
were driven to that terrible distress as to search the common sewers and old
dunghills of cattle, and to eat the dung which they got there; and what they of old could not endure so much
as to see they now used for food. When the Romans barely heard all this,
they commiserated their case; while the seditious, who saw it also, did not
repent, but suffered the same distress to come upon themselves; for they were blinded by that fate which was already coming upon the city, and
upon themselves also.
Book 6 Chapter
3:
3. Now of those that perished by famine in the city, the number was
prodigious, and the miseries they underwent were unspeakable; for if so much as
the shadow of any kind of food did any where appear, a war was commenced
presently, and the dearest friends fell a fighting one with another about it,
snatching from each other the most miserable supports of life. Nor would men
believe that those who were dying had no food, but the robbers would search
them when they were expiring, lest any one should have concealed food in their
bosoms, and counterfeited dying; nay, these robbers gaped for want, and ran
about stumbling and staggering along like mad dogs, and reeling against the
doors of the houses like drunken men; they would also, in the great distress
they were in, rush into the very same houses two or three times in one and the
same day. Moreover, their hunger was so
intolerable, that it obliged them to chew every thing, while they gathered
such things as the most sordid animals would not touch, and endured to eat
them; nor did they at length abstain from girdles
and shoes; and the very leather which
belonged to their shields they pulled off and gnawed: the very wisps of old
hay became food to some; and some gathered up fibres, and sold a very small
weight of them for four Attic [drachmae]. But why do I describe the shameless
impudence that the famine brought on men in their eating inanimate things,
while I am going to relate a matter of fact, the like to which no history
relates, (15) either among the Greeks or
Barbarians? It is horrible to speak of it, and incredible when heard. I had
indeed willingly omitted this calamity of ours, that I might not seem to
deliver what is so portentous to posterity, but that I have innumerable
witnesses to it in my own age; and besides, my country would have had little
reason to thank me for suppressing the miseries that she underwent at this
time.
4. There was a certain woman that dwelt beyond Jordan, her name was
Mary; her father was Eleazar, of the village Bethezob, which signifies the
house of Hyssop. She was eminent for her family and her wealth, and had fled away
to Jerusalem
5. This sad instance was quickly
told to the Romans, some of whom could not believe it, and others pitied the
distress which the Jews were under; but there were many of them who were hereby
induced to a more bitter hatred than ordinary against our nation. But for Caesar, he excused himself before God as to
this matter, and said that he had proposed peace and liberty to the Jews,
as well as an oblivion of all their former insolent practices; but that they,
instead of concord, had chosen sedition; instead of peace, war; and before
satiety and abundance, a famine. That they had begun with their own hands to
burn down that temple which we have preserved hitherto; and that therefore they
deserved to eat such food as this was. That, however, this horrid action of
eating an own child ought to be covered with the overthrow of their very
country itself, and men ought not to leave such a city upon the habitable earth
to be seen by the sun, wherein mothers are thus fed, although such food be
fitter for the fathers than for the mothers to eat of, since it is they that
continue still in a state of war against us, after they have undergone such
miseries as these. And at the same time that he said this, he reflected on the
desperate condition these men must be in; nor could he expect that such men
could be recovered to sobriety of mind, after they had endured those very
sufferings, for the avoiding whereof it only was probable they might have
repented.
Chapter 6:9 The number of those who died:
3. Now the number (32) of those
that were carried captive during this whole war was collected to be
ninety-seven thousand; as was the number
of those that perished during the whole siege eleven hundred thousand (1
100 000), the greater part of whom were indeed of the same nation
[with the citizens of Jerusalem], but not belonging to the city itself; for
they were come up from all the country to the feast of unleavened bread, and
were on a sudden shut up by an army, which, at the very first, occasioned so
great a straitness among them, that there came a pestilential destruction upon
them, and soon afterward such a famine, as destroyed them more suddenly. And
that this city could contain so many people in it, is manifest by that number
of them which was taken under Cestius, who being desirous of informing Nero of
the power of the city, who otherwise was disposed to contemn that nation,
entreated the high priests, if the thing were possible, to take the number of
their whole multitude. So these high priests, upon the coming of that feast
which is called the Passover, when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth
hour till the eleventh, but so that a company not less than ten (33) belong to every sacrifice, (for it is not
lawful for them to feast singly by themselves,) and many of us are twenty in a
company, found the number of sacrifices was two hundred and fifty-six thousand
five hundred; which, upon the allowance of no more than ten that feast
together, amounts to two millions seven hundred thousand and two hundred
persons that were pure and holy; for as to those that have the leprosy, or the
gonorrhea, or women that have their monthly courses, or such as are otherwise
polluted, it is not lawful for them to
be partakers of this sacrifice; nor indeed for any foreigners neither, who
come hither to worship.
Book 7 Chapter
1 the destruction of Jerusalem
1. NOW as soon as the army had no
more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the
objects of their fury, (for they would not have spared any, had there remained
any other work to be done,) Caesar gave
orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should
leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency; that is,
Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne; and so much of the wall as enclosed the
city on the west side. This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such
as were to lie in garrison, as were the towers also spared, in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of
city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valour had subdued; but
for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by
those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make
those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end
which Jerusalem
Deu 28:58 “If you do not guard to do all the Words of this
Torah that are written in this book, to fear this esteemed and awesome Name, יהוה your
Elohim,
Deu
28:59 then יהוה shall
bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues, great and lasting
plagues, and grievous and lasting sicknesses.
Deu
28:60 “And He shall bring back
on you all the diseases of Mitsrayim, of which you were afraid, and they shall
cling to you,
Deu
28:61 also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in the book
of this Torah, יהוה does bring upon you until you are destroyed.
Have we not these last centuries seen the development of
new sicknesses and diseases? (Aids, bird flue, cancer, …..) Today is not the
all world giving vaccine against the H1N1 bird flue pandemic?
Deu
28:62 “And you shall be left
with few men, although you had become as numerous as the stars of the heavens,
because you did not obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim.
Remember only a remnant shall be saved:
Remnant: Strong’s #
7611 שׁארית she'êrîyth sheh-ay-reeth'
From H7604; a remainder or residual (surviving,
final) portion: - that had escaped,
be left, posterity, remain (-der), remnant, residue, rest.
Isa 1:9 Unless יהוה of hosts had left to us a
small remnant, we would have become
like Seḏom, we would have been made like Amorah (Gomorah).
Isa 10:20 And in that day it shall be that the remnant of Yisra’ĕl, and those who have escaped of the house of
Yaʽaqoḇ, never again lean upon him who defeated them, but shall lean upon יהוה, the
Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl, in truth.
Isa 10:21 A remnant shall return, the remnant of Yaʽaqoḇ, to the Mighty Ěl.
Jer 23:3 “Therefore I shall gather the remnant
of My flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and shall bring them
back to their fold. And they shall bear and increase.
Jer 42:2 and said to Yirmeyahu the prophet, “We beg you, let our petition be
acceptable to you, and pray for us to יהוה your
Elohim, for all this remnant, for we
are few left of many, as your eyes see us.
Joe 2:32 “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה
shall be delivered1. For on Mount Tsiyon
Amo 5:15 Hate evil and love good, and set up right-ruling in the gate. It might
be that יהוה Elohim of hosts shows favour
to the remnant of Yosĕph.
Mic 2:12 “I shall certainly gather all of you, O Yaʽaqoḇ, I shall bring
together the remnant of Yisra’ĕl,
put them together like sheep of the fold, like a flock in the midst of their
pasture, they being noisy because of men.
Mic 5:7 And the remnant of Yaʽaqoḇ
shall be in the midst of many peoples, as dew from יהוה, as
showers on the grass, which do not wait for man nor delay for the sons of men.
Mic
5:8 And the remnant of Yaʽaqoḇ shall be among the
gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of a
forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through,
shall both tread down and shall tear, and there is no one to deliver.
Rom 9:27 And Yeshayahu cries out on behalf of Yisra’ĕl, “Though the number of
the children of Yisra’ĕl be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved.
Rev 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with
the remnant of her seed, those
guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah.
Deu
28:63 “And it shall be, that as
יהוה rejoiced over you to do you good and increase you,
so יהוה does rejoice over you to destroy you and lay you
waste. And you shall be plucked from off
the land which you go to possess.
Deu
28:64 “And יהוה shall
scatter you among all peoples, from one
end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other mighty ones,
which neither you nor your fathers have known, wood and stone.
Deu
28:65 “And among those nations
you are to find no rest, nor have a resting place for the sole of your foot.
But there יהוה
shall give you a trembling heart, and failing eyes,
and sorrow of being.
Deu
28:66 “And your life shall be
hanging in suspense before you, and you shall fear day and night, and not be
certain of your life.
Deu
28:67 “In the morning you say,
‘Oh, that it were evening!’ And at evening you say, ‘Oh, that it were morning!’
because of the fear of your heart, with which you fear, and because of the
sight which your eyes see.
Deu
28:68 “And יהוה shall
bring you back to Mitsrayim in ships, by a way of which I said to you, ‘You are
never to see it again.’ And there you shall be sold to your enemies as male and
female slaves, but no one to buy.”
We shall
remember that everything that has been, it is what shall be. As it was it will
be (Eccl. 1:9), and this will goes on until Messiah will return to establish
the Kingdom of Elohim
The cycle
of life is according to the moon which is set for season/signs, for appointed
time, for days and years.
Gen 1:14 And Elohim said, “Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens
to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and appointed
times, and for days and years,
The shemita
cycle is a period of seven years. The Yovel (Jubilee) is a seven time seven
years (49 years), the fiftieth been the Yovel year, the year of release.
The life of
man (understand in this form on earth) shall be 120 years or time of age.
If
we take the age of Moshe which represent the length of man on earth before the
establishment of Elohim’s Kingdom we have 120 cycle of each 50 years, actually
as Joseph Dumond write in his document “The sign, the seal and the secret” 49
years because the fiftieth is the year of the Yovel itself but also the first
year of the next cycle. Further he writes: The word for years is Strong’s Word # 08141
spelled hnX and pronounced Shaneh (Shaw-neh). It has four meanings which are:
a)as division of time ; b) as measure of time ; c) as indication of age ; d) a
lifetime (of years of life).
So we have
49 X 120 cycle equals: 5880 years.
According
to his calculation the last Yovel (the 120th) has been in the year
1996. It means it remains 37 years from the 49 years today as I write in the
year 2008 (updated 09/2009) , before the coming of Messiah Yehoshua.
Because the
shemita is in a seven years rhythm, we still have more then five shemita cycle
remaining. The next one will be the year 2008 because the year 1996 was the
Yovel’s year but it was also part of the seven time period, so 2002 was the
stating of the next shemita cycle which will end in 2008.As Joseph Dumond
explain, the last year of the seven time period of the shemita is also the
first of the next one. So that the next cycle start in the year 2008 and will
end on 2014
The plagues
from Revelation which will come upon the earth as we see today will increase in
every last shemita cycle. Mankind will suffer until the end in an increasing
form. When a shemita cycle comes to the end, this will not bring the end of a
plague which will remain. A new plague will be added to the last one in
increasing form. This is known under the term: “Ya’acov trouble” also “great
tribulation”
Jer 30:7 ‘Oh! For great is that day, there is none like it. And it is the time of Yaʽaqoḇ’s trouble, but
he shall be saved out of it.
What will
happen with the faithful one?
Mat 24:21 “For then there shall be great distress,1
such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor
ever shall be. Footnote:1Or great pressure, or great affliction
Psa 20:1 יהוה
does answer you in the day of distress (trouble)!
The Name of the Elohim of Yaʽaqoḇ does set you on high!
Psa
20:2 He does send you help
from the set-apart place, and does uphold you from Tsiyon!
Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the
most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2 He is saying of יהוה,
“My refuge and my stronghold, My Elohim, in whom I trust!”
Psa
91:3 For He delivers you from the snare of a trapper, From the destructive
pestilence.
Psa
91:4 He covers you with His
feathers, and under His wings you take
refuge; His truth is a shield and
armour.
Psa
91:5 You are not afraid of the dread by night, Of the arrow that flies by day,
Psa
91:6 Of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Of destruction that ravages at midday.
Psa 91:7 a thousand
fall at your side, And ten thousand
at your right hand; But it does not come near you.
Psa
91:8 Only with your eyes you look on, and see the reward of the wrong ones(wicked).
Psa
91:9 Because you have made יהוה – My refuge,
the Most High – your dwelling place,
Psa
91:10 No evil befalls you, And a plague does not come near your tent;
Psa
91:11 For He commands His
messengers concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.
Psa
91:12 They bear you up in their
hands, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Psa
91:13 You tread upon lion and
cobra, Young lion and serpent you trample under foot.
Psa
91:14 “Because he cleaves to Me
in love, Therefore I deliver him;
I set him on high, Because he has known My Name.
Psa 91:15 “When he
calls on Me, I answer him; I am with him in distress; I deliver him and esteem
him.
Psa
91:16 “With long life I satisfy him, and show him My deliverance.”
Are you dwelling in the secret place of the Most High
Elohim, has he become your refuge and your fortress?
Zep 2:3 Seek יהוה, all you meek ones of the
earth, who have done His right-ruling. Seek righteousness, seek meekness, if so
be that you are hidden in the day of
wrath of יהוה.
Eze 9:4 and יהוה
said to him, “Pass on into the midst of the city,
into the midst of Yerushalayim, and you
shall put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the
abominations that are done within it.”
Eze 9:5 and to
the others He said in my hearing, “Pass on into the city after him and smite,
do not let your eye pardon nor spare.
Eze 9:6 “Slay
to destruction old, young men, maidens and children and women, but do not come near anyone upon whom is the
mark, and begin at My set-apart place.” So they began with the elders
who were in front of the House.
Rev 9:4 And it was said to them that they shall not harm the grass of the
earth, or any green matter, or
any tree, but only those men who do not
have the seal of Elohim upon their foreheads.
Do you have the MARK of יהוה it is the
Shabbat and the Commands of יהוה or have you still the
mark of the world? To
walk in the light is not an easy task it demands patience, perseverance and
humility of heart. To crucify the flesh take devotion to the one who has call
us.
Deu 29:1 These are the words
of the covenant which יהוה commanded
Mosheh to make with the children of Yisra’ĕl in the land of Mo
Conclusion of the covenant which יהוה commanded Moshe to
make with the children of Israel
Deu
29:2 And Mosheh called all
Yisra’ĕl and said to them, “You yourselves saw all that יהוה did
before your eyes in the land
of Mitsrayim
Deu
29:3 “Your eyes saw the great
trials, the signs, and those great wonders.
Deu
29:4 “But יהוה has
not given you a heart to know and eyes to see and ears to hear, till this day.
Deu
29:5 “And I have led you forty
years in the wilderness. Your garments have not worn out on you, and your
sandals have not worn out on your feet.
Deu
29:6 “You ate no bread and
drank no wine nor strong drink, so that you might know that I am יהוה your
Elohim.
Deu
29:7 “And when you came to
this place, Siḥon sovereign of Ḥeshbon and Oḡ sovereign of Bashan came out
against us to battle, and we smote them,
Deu
29:8 and took their land and
gave it as an inheritance to the Re’uḇĕnites, and to the Gaḏites, and to half
the tribe of Menashsheh.
Haftorah
The words
of the prophet YeshaYahu are words of
reconciliation and restoration. There is hope with Elohim. יהוה has punished, but judgment will turn unto
righteousness for the remnant of Ya’acov. “Your
light has come”, the promise of Messiah for the nations!
Isa 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come! And the esteem of יהוה has
risen upon you.
Isa
60:2 “For look, darkness covers the earth, and thick
darkness the peoples. But יהוה arises over
you, and His esteem is seen upon you.
Isa
60:3 “And the gentiles shall
come to your light1, and sovereigns
to the brightness of your rising. Footnote: 1Isa.
60:19,20, Rev. 21:23,24.
Isa
60:4 “Lift up your eyes all
around and see: all of them have gathered, they have come to you; your sons
come from afar, and your daughters are supported on the side.
Isa
60:5 “Then you shall see and
be bright, and your heart shall throb and swell, for the wealth of the sea is
turned to you, the riches of the gentiles come to you.
Isa
60:6 “A stream of camels cover
your land, the dromedaries of Miḏyan and Ěphah; all those from Sheḇa come,
bearing gold and incense, and proclaiming the praises of יהוה.
Isa
60:7 “All the flocks of Qĕḏar
are gathered to you, the rams of Neḇayoth serve you; they come up for
acceptance on My altar, and I embellish My esteemed House.
Isa
60:8 “Who are these who fly
like a cloud, and like doves to their windows?
Isa
60:9 “Because the coastlands
wait for Me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from afar,
their silver and their gold with them, to the Name of יהוה
your Elohim, and to the
Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl, because He has adorned you.
Isa
60:10 “And the sons of
foreigners shall build your walls, and their sovereigns serve you. For in My
wrath I have smitten you, but in My delight I shall have compassion on you.
Isa
60:11 “And your gates shall be
open continually, they are not shut day or night, to bring to you the wealth of
the gentiles, and their sovereigns in procession.
Isa
60:12 “For the nation and the
reign that do not serve you shall perish, and those gentiles shall be utterly
laid waste.
Isa
60:13 “The esteem of Leḇanon
shall come to you, cypress, pine, and the box tree together, to embellish the
place of My set-apart place. And I shall make the place of My feet esteemed.
Isa
60:14 “And the sons of those
who afflicted you come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall bow
themselves at the soles of your feet. And they shall call you: City of יהוה,
Tsiyon of the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl.
Isa
60:15 “Instead of you being
forsaken and hated, so that no one passes through you, I shall make you an
everlasting excellence, a joy of many generations.
Isa
60:16 “And you shall drink dry
the milk of the gentiles, and shall milk the breast of sovereigns. And you
shall know that I, יהוה,
your Saviour and your Redeemer, am the Elohim of Yaʽaqoḇ.
Isa
60:17 “Instead of bronze I
bring gold, and instead of iron I bring silver, and bronze instead of wood, and
iron instead of stones. And I shall make your officers peace, and your
magistrates righteousness.
Isa
60:18 “Violence shall no longer
be heard in your land, neither wasting nor ruin within your borders. And you
shall call your walls Deliverance, and your gates Praise.
Isa
60:19 “No longer is the sun
your light by day, nor does the moon give light to you for brightness, but יהוה
shall be to you an
everlasting light, and your Elohim your comeliness.
Isa
60:20 “No longer does your sun
go down, nor your moon withdraw itself, for יהוה shall be your everlasting light, and the days of
your mourning shall be ended.
Isa
60:21 “And your people, all of
them righteous, shall inherit the earth forever – a branch of My planting, a
work of My hands, to be adorned.
Isa
60:22 “The little shall become
a thousand, and the small one a strong nation1.
I, יהוה, shall hasten it in its
time.” Footnote: 1See 41:14, Dan. 2:34-44.
Luk 21:1 and looking up He saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury,
Luk 21:2 and He saw a certain poor widow putting in two mites.
Luk 21:3 And He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more
than all.
Luk 21:4 “For all these out of their excess have put in offerings for Elohim,
but she out of her poverty has put in all that she had to live on.”
Rom 11:1 I say then, has
Elohim rejected His people? Let it not be! For I also am a Yisra’ĕlite, of the
seed of Aḇraham, of the tribe of Binyamin.
Rom 11:2 Elohim has not rejected His people whom He
knew beforehand.1 Or do you not know what the Scripture says
of Ěliyahu, how he pleads with Elohim against Yisra’ĕl, saying, Footnote: 1Ps. 94:14.
Rom 11:3 “יהוה, they have killed Your
prophets and overthrown Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my
life”?
Rom
11:4 but what does the answer of Elohim say to him? “I have left
for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baʽal.”
Rom
11:5 So therefore also, at
this present time a remnant
according to the choice of favour has come to be.
Rom
11:6 and if by favour, it is
no longer of works, otherwise favour is no longer favour. And if it is of
works, it is no longer favour, otherwise work is no longer work.
Rom
11:7 What then? Yisra’ĕl has
not obtained what it seeks, but the chosen did obtain it, and the rest were
hardened.
Rom
11:8 as it has been written, “יהוה
has given them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes
not to see and ears not to hear, unto this day.”(D’varim 29:4)
Rom
11:9 Dawiḏ also says, “Let
their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling-block and recompense to them,
Rom
11:10 let their eyes be
darkened, not to see, and bow down their back always.”
Rom
11:11 I say then, have they
stumbled that they should fall? Let it not be! But by their fall deliverance
has come to the gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.
Rom
11:12 and if their fall is
riches for the world, and their failure riches for the gentiles, how much more
their completeness!
Rom
11:13 for I speak to you, the
gentiles, inasmuch as I am an emissary to the gentiles, I esteem my service,
Rom
11:14 if somehow I might
provoke to jealousy those who are
my flesh and save some of them.
Rom
11:15 for if their casting away
is the restoration to favour of the world, what is their acceptance but life
from the dead?
The Enemy in the Land
The Canaanites speak of the influence of the world upon our
faith. The name Canaanite means ‘merchant, or trafficker’ and this is exactly
what they were. Harpers Bible dictionary states that ‘the Canaanites enjoyed a
reputation as traders.’ They lived within the land and were happy to remain
there just so long as the trading and profit were good! Do we not see this
Canaanite principle all around us in western Christianity? The principle of
looking ‘religious’ or going to church, simply for what you can get out of it!
This may be for monetary gain[1], or social gain… it is Canaanites
within the land! How many ‘Christians’, while they would never say it, simply
treat God like a Father Christmas to satisfy their every want? How can the
‘name it and claim it, blab it and grab it theology’ take such a hold upon so
many believers? Or how could the self-centered ‘Prayer of Jabez’[2] pass itself off as biblical
Christianity, and draw in ‘millions of followers’, if you believe the hype,
unless the Canaanites are still very much a strong enemy within the hearts of
believers?
Compare:2 Kefa 2:1-3, Revelation 18:11-15
The word Amorite means ‘a talker, to say,
speak’. It is also interesting to see that it is derived from a word that can
be used in the sense of self-boasting or commanding. So the Amorites speak of words without action[3]. It is the very principle that Yehoshua
warned His disciples against when He spoke of the Pharisees saying ‘obey them
and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not
practice what they preach. (Matt 23:3) James spoke about these dangers as well
saying ‘Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it
says.’ (James 1:22) Paul reminds us that the goal of all instruction is love,
from which, some have wandered away from, turning aside to meaningless talk. (1
Tim 1:5-6) Is not this something we can all be guilty of? When you read the
Bible or listen to a sermon, are you merely after head knowledge or are you
looking to how the word can be applied in your life? True understanding is
important but it should always have a practical outworking[4].
(Psalm 119:34) All knowledge and speech is but a clanging bell is you do not have love. Beware of allowing the
Amorites to settle and live in your life!
The name Hittite is derived from the name ‘Heth’
and means ‘sons of terror’. It is the principle, or spirit, of fear that seeks to dominate our lives. Now the Hittite
empire may have come and gone, but its principle of fear certainly hasn’t. How
many Christian lives are still held captive, and controlled by the Hittite
enemy?
Compare: Psalm 34:4, 2nd Timot. 1:7
The names Hivites and Perizzites have the same
meaning. Hivites means ‘a villager’, and Perizzites means ‘rustic or belonging
to a village’. In the Amorites you had a talker, someone who liked to command
and thought very highly of himself.
The Hivites and Perizzites represent the other side of the coin – the villager
or commoner mentality. Someone who constantly downplays him or herself to the
point where they do not think God can use them. Now, some boast of self, some
downplay self, but sure enough, self is still the focus! Into this category of
the villager mentality we could put two great ‘stars’ of the Old Testament –
namely Moses[5] and
Gideon[6].
But both overcame this attitude and were greatly used of YHWH
Jebusite means ‘to trample, tread down’ and speaks of the
desired end result of our combined enemies. The Jebusites dwelt around and in Jerusalem and there is evidence that Jebus was the
pre-Davidic name for Jerusalem Israel
Compare: 2 Timot. 2:15, Hebr.6:4-6, 10:38-39
[1]
You probably know the story but please read Exodus 3:10-12 and right
through chapter 4 if you are really keen. Here is a loose, and I mean loose,
paraphrase… In verses 10-12 God tells Moses that He will send him to deliver Israel
[1]
The same attitude is found initially in Gideon in Judges 6:11-16
although he did overcome it and was, after great assurances by the Lord,
obedient to God.
[1] See (Josh. 15:8; 18:28; Judg 19:10, 2 Sam.
5:6-9, 24:18-25)
[1] Have a look at 2 Cor 2:17, 1 Tim 6:5,
Jude 11.
[2] I Went into a Christian bookshop the
other day and found a new book on the life of Jabez. Someone had written a
200-300 page novel on the life of this man who is only mentioned in three
verses in the Bible. Wow! What insight that author must have had! Or maybe,
just maybe, it was a desperate attempt to make money out of the latest
‘Christian’ cash cow! I smell Canaanites!!! Or for that matter, while I’m
having a rant, when will the ‘Left Behind’ series ever come to an end? I’m not
against the content of these books but is it just me or does each new book seem to occupy a
smaller time frame of the tribulation? You don’t think they could possibly be
squeezing it for all that its worth do you?
[3]
This cracks me up. You may remember that Christian and Faithful
(Pilgrims Progress) met Talkative on their journey to the Celestial City
[4]
Good old Faithful (in Pilgrims Progress) makes another interesting
comment about understanding and words without action (the Amorites)… ‘Faithful
then said, “This reminds me of the words of Moses when he described the animal
that is ceremonially clean. It is the animal that has a split hoof and chews
it’s cud, not the one that has a split hoof only, or the one that only chews
its cud. The rabbit chews its cud but it’s still unclean because it doesn’t
have a split hoof. This resembles talkative. He chews the cud – that is, he
seeks knowledge and chews on the word – but he doesn’t have a separated hoof;
he doesn’t separate himself from the way of sinners. Like the rabbit, he
retains the foot of a dog or bear, and so he’s unclean.”
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